


A Rotten Trip by Train

by workingonaportfolio (orphan_account)



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-05-29 07:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6365173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/workingonaportfolio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A modern Carol AU in which Therese, a film student, accidentally meets the film producer Carol Aird on an early-morning train ride...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The next train’s at 6.50...

Therese was running.

Running away from something, everything, anything that was in the way. She ran along Canal Street and up Bowery, without even stopping to catch her breath. Her mind was struggling to keep up; cars blurred together in the pre-dawn light as they swerved to avoid Therese.

Soon, she found herself in the Astor Place subway, fumbling for her Metro Card.

“Therese! I was just about to call you!”

Richard, perhaps the last person she wanted to see at almost 7am on a Tuesday, was waiting on the other side of a barrier. She could quite easily turn around and keep running, but she knew that time would soon catch up - Richard would need to be pacified sooner or later.

“I was going to message you tomorrow about returning those books,” Therese called out as someone swore at her for taking too much time with finding her Metro Card. She glanced around, noting that none of the other barriers were in use, before going through the barrier without paying attention.

Unfortunately, that meant she hadn’t noticed a newspaper, which lead to Therese falling. Directly into Richard’s arms. The last place she wanted to be at that moment. She wondered whether falling over and splitting open her head would be more desirable, before realising that she had promised Dannie a portfolio review later that day. She regained her footing, and Richard pulled her back onto her feet. Therese picked up her bag, which had fallen onto the floor.

“Thank you, Richard. I must be going.” She knew that Richard was going to be heading downtown to City Hall, whilst she was heading north to Middletown Road. Richard would be heading back to his high-flying job as a ‘Chief of Staff,’ as he called it, whilst Therese was late to observe a film shoot at a high school in the Bronx. He yelled out something about calling him, but Therese was already walking away, stepping onto her train to take her away from him.

It was only when she got onto the 6.50 train that she could finally relax for the first time. She closed her eyes, and it was around ten minutes later that someone gently shook her shoulder.

“This train’s going out-of-service, darling, we need to get off.”

Therese opened her eyes to find a woman, wearing a tailored suit and a silk scarf, green. She stared into Therese’s eyes, and Therese stared back.

“Are you going to get up from there any-time soon, or will I have to carry you off?” Therese would rather that she was carried off by this captivating blonde woman. However, she realised that was sarcasm, and pulled herself up from the seat, staggering towards the door.

“You might want to take your gloves with you, or perhaps your bag…”

Therese turned around, confused. She had totally forgotten what she was doing, why she was on the train, and it was only after she was taken to a café outside Lexington and 59th St station and had three cups of coffee that she finally could speak again.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I even know your name,” Therese stammered. Her mystery woman pulled out a business card.

‘CAROL AIRD. PRODUCER. SALT FILM PRODUCTIONS LLC.’

Therese looked up from the card into Carol’s eyes. There was something about them that dazzled her, to the point that Therese almost forgot what she was about to say.

“I suppose you’re not the Mrs. Aird who’s producing a film in the Bronx this morning,” Therese mumbled. Carol laughed, and nodded. She seemed happy, despite being late. Therese apologised for her lateness to the set, which lead to Carol laughing even further.

“I’m late too. Why don’t we just not go today? I’ll just say that you were with me, holding the fort at the office. How’s about that?”

Therese looked shocked at the gesture, but smiled for the first time that morning. Soon, they were in a cab riding south towards Carol’s office on Seventh Avenue.

Therese, having not slept for 29 hours, was soon on the edge of falling asleep. Slowly, her head fell onto Carol’s shoulder, but neither of them minded. Therese was happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Carol and Therese had been sitting in the same chairs all day. Therese knew that Carol had taken the job at Salt Film Productions because she was in the process of divorce proceedings with her husband, the owner of 'HTL Rental'. Carol knew that Therese had recently dumped her boyfriend, and was now finding it hard to get anything done.

Both women had laughed and shed a tear in the ten hours they had spent in Carol’s office, and Therese felt refreshed for the experience. Now, however, she felt that she must get home. She had promised to see Dannie, after all.

“I really must be going,” said Therese, trying to find her bag on the floor. She soon realised that Carol had placed it on the coat stand when they entered, and stood up to get it. Carol stood up at the same time, and followed her towards the door.

“It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Therese. Would you perhaps like to chat some other time?”

Therese contemplated the question as she put on her gloves.

“I don’t do much on Sundays, do you?”

Carol shook her head, and opened the door for Therese. They were soon both downstairs in the foyer of the building, and they said their goodbyes, Therese promising to call Carol the next day. Then she was outside, and could see Carol slowly walking upstairs. It looked like she was sad, or perhaps weary. Therese hoped that her negative influence wasn’t wearing off on someone with such class and enthusiasm, and she started worrying.

A few hours later, Dannie was sitting on the floor opposite Therese, with about 50 3x2 prints sprawled out across the floor. He was confused, for Therese had spent ten minutes staring at a particular one.

“Therese, is everything alright?”

She didn’t respond for a moment, before mumbling something about the colour. What Dannie didn’t know was that it was a photo he had taken of Carol on set. She looked so powerful, and majestic - at least, for someone pointing at a monitor in video village.

“I’d like to keep this picture, Dannie, if that’s passable with you,” asked Therese. Dannie nodded and said he didn’t have any problems with that.

“You really should finish your portfolio, Therese. I haven’t seen it for two months now, and we’re supposed to look through each other’s work twice a month.”

Therese knew what Dannie was thinking. Dannie was thinking that she wouldn’t let him see her portfolio yet. That she would make some excuse about it being in the studio, or that she had left it at Richard’s condo.

Therese was about to say that it was at Richard’s place, but then realised that she didn’t want Dannie to attempt to go round and pick it up from Richard, only to find that they had broken up. She thought it best to lie in a different way.

“I… don’t have mine anymore. I burnt it. It was terrible, I don’t know why I’m even trying now.”

“Therese, I don’t even know how you’d start to explain that to Mrs Gerhard…” Mrs Gerhard was the head of Therese’s course, and regularly had an argument with Therese over ‘stylistic choices’. Therese loved reflections, shooting through glass, whilst Mrs Gerhard had an obsession with clean shots, and precision.

Shortly afterwards Dannie left, his portfolio in hand - at least minus the photo of Carol which Therese had acquired. As soon as she saw Dannie get in a cab outside, she ran over to her closet and pulled out a huge box, which promptly split open just before she placed it on her bed. Therese pulled out what felt like 200 reels of Super16 film from her first year, and finally reached a small packet of paper and card.

Therese’s portfolio. It was “amazing”, at least according to Richard. But he didn’t know anything about cinema. Her assigned mentor thought it was quite alright, but he hadn’t worked in the industry for 25 years. Therese thought it was abysmal. Her cover was illegible scrawl, her best work consisted of some ruffled low-quality prints, and her list of completed works had one item on. Therese knew that it was at least two months out of date, and she knew that updating it was not a job for right now. 

She also knew that she’d told herself the same three days ago, and the same thing every single other time she’d looked at her portfolio.

At about 3am, Therese finally decided to stop reading her university forum on her laptop, and that it was time to go to bed. She grabbed her phone from the desk, and realised that it wasn’t her own.

Therese had Carol’s phone. Carol must have Therese’s phone.

Her first thought was that this meant she could see Carol sooner than Sunday, but it instantly dawned on Therese that this was an issue. She was supposed to be flying to Cincinnati that same day to shoot her graduate film. She hadn’t even finished her storyboards, let alone packed.

The phone, still in Therese’s hand, rang suddenly. She was confused, as she didn't understand the emoji which filled the contact name, but she answered it anyway.

“Carol Aird’s phone?”

“Who are you, and where’s my wife,” barked a strange man down the other end. This must be Harge. The emoji did seem to reflect what Carol had said about him, upon reflection.

Therese panicked, and hung up. She quickly dialled her own phone number.

Carol answered, almost instantly. Therese panicked, lost for words. A moment passed before she could answer.

“I need to see you… now.”


	3. Chapter 3

Therese slowly moved towards the foyer of the motel, waiting for the taxi worker hauling her equipment to catch up. It was 10pm in Cincinnati. The two hour trip from New York was irritating, for Dannie had insisted on sitting next to Therese. All she had wanted to do was sit alone and relax after a long, restless day.

Carol had got to Therese’s apartment at about 4am, and they had swapped phones. Therese couldn’t bring herself to say that Harge had rung. Carol wouldn’t want to know. Therese had eighteen calls from Richard, and he’d also sent her what felt like a million heart emojis. She cringed, before messaging her best friend about Richard’s faults.

Therese felt like Carol was fast becoming her best friend, but she wasn’t quite sure what that meant. Carol took a deep breath. “I was chatting to Abby earlier on, and she suggested that I take a little trip away somewhere… I’m quite liking the suggestion.”

Therese looked up from her phone. “Abby who?”

“Mrs Gerhard. I gather you might know her, Therese?” Therese looked away from Carol, smiling awkwardly.

“I suppose you could say that… I don't think Abby likes me very much. She just throws scorn over everything I do, and I —“

“—think that you should meet in a more personal manner,” Carol interrupted.

Later on that day, Abby met Carol and Therese at the Palermo, a restaurant a few blocks away from where Therese was exasperatingly trying to finish her storyboards. Abby seemed awkward.

“You're looking very stressed today, Miss Belivet,” Abby said. She looked over Therese as she sat down opposite from Abby, Carol sitting between them.

“I’ve been a bit restless recently,” said Therese, “I think this is the first time I’ve been outside in two days.” She looked across at Carol, who smiled minutely. They both knew that Therese was lying.

They left the restaurant with an agreement that Carol would help produce Therese’s graduate film, and that Therese would help the first-years in a few weeks to help Abby get back on top of her workload. Which, in turn, is why Carol was calling out to Therese in a Cincinnati motel car park.

“Look, if you wait for him neither of us will get to sleep tonight, and we cannot have that!”

Therese turned to face Carol, and started to move faster. They were soon checking in, and a few moments later Carol had taken off her coat and threw herself down on one of the beds. Therese flung her jacket slightly too aggressively into the headboard, and she heard the cracking of plastic.

“I knew I should’ve got a better light meter,” exhaled Therese. She walked over to where her jacket fell, fumbling around for the tool she would be relying on at 5am the next morning. Instead, she found a cracked plastic image of Therese and Richard standing in Central Park, hand-in-hand. Dannie had taken it, and Therese had only taken a framed copy from Richard because she felt like she was obliged to do so. 

Therese chucked it away. “You really need to learn to be less violent, Therese,” chuckled Carol, who was leaning on her side looking at the girl.

“Oh, I don’t think I am, usually. I find myself pretty reserved, at least when I’m not around Richard's type.”

Carol laughed, and Therese did as well. She felt like she could be open with Carol, more than anyone else in the world at that moment. She trusted Carol, and perhaps Carol trusted her.


	4. Chapter 4

Therese was late. Very late. It was 4.49am and she had to be on set at 5.05am, shooting by 5.30am, and wrap that scene by 6.45am. Stupid sunrise, why couldn’t it have been earlier? Her mind was a wreck, and she struggled to remember what Carol was doing standing over her, shaking her shoulder.

Oh, she’s in charge. Carol’s in charge. I really should get up.

If it had been Richard, Therese would have probably pushed him away and ignored him for the rest of the day. She got up, discussing the plan for the day with Carol as they both got ready. They were soon ready to go, and after a short wait for a bell-boy to bring up a cart for Therese’s camera equipment, they were soon on their way. Dannie was over-excited in the front of the truck he had rented, and in hindsight was probably saying too much about his plans for the evening. Carol and Therese glanced across at each other - gosh, wouldn’t people just shut up for once?

At 5.25am, Therese fumbled around in her day-bag for her light meter. She was sure she put it in her bag last night. Panicked, she checked her other gear bag, and the coat she was wearing when she arrived yesterday. It wasn’t in either of them. She was about to pull out her phone and use that, but saw Carol striding towards her, carrying a box.

“Looking for this?” Carol said, placing the box into her hand. It was a small, black package, with a small clasp on one side. Therese opened it, and smiled at Carol when she saw a brand new, digital light meter. She pulled it out and placed it around her neck, as Carol turned around and returned to video village.

“Ugh, she’s more excited about some chintzy light meter than the damn shoot,” exclaimed Phil McElroy, Dannie’s brother. He was trying to be a dolly grip, but currently Therese wasn’t too impressed. Even less so, now.

As night slowly turned into day, and they started rolling, Therese felt happy, and felt as if all was going well. Carol had almost fired Phil for hitting his mark too quickly. Well, Carol’s glare at Phil and her sly grin at Therese certainly suggested that. Phil was worse than Richard, sometimes. Why had she even decided that he could come on this shoot? Therese thought she really needed to find some better crew for the next project she worked on. If there even was one.

Twelve hours, eighteen setups and 3 scenes later, the first day of Therese’s grad film was over, and Therese sat in their hotel room, looking at the intermediate recordings. The rushes were sent off to New York for processing, and should be back in four or five days time. Meanwhile, the recorder stuck somewhere between the camera and Carol at least indicated to Therese whether a shot was in focus or not.

The first eight weren’t.

Therese panicked, and quickly skimmed through the rest. The next five, all interiors, were fine. The final five were bad as well. She pulled out the notes the assistant camera wrote on the lens and camera settings, and realised that the bad shots were all done with the same lens.

Damnit. There must be something wrong.

It was at that moment that she remembered a story she’d been told about the same lens - on some sort of independent film, or something, they’d discovered that the witness mark on the lens wasn’t actually at infinity. So, that was the issue, then.

Carol looked over at Therese, who was now blushing. “And you have a problem, Therese Belivet?”

“I — I think we might need a reshoot.”

Therese glanced over at Carol, waiting for the face of pure despair at having to reshoot eight reels. It didn’t come. Instead, Carol just smiled.

“Well, maybe we could try it again when you’re a little less… tired?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actual technical garble from Carol which made its way into this chapter:
> 
> \- The rushes from a day's filming on Carol had to be flown from Cincinnati to New York, and they often missed the night bath and hence had to wait a day for the next night bath, since there was no day bath. Then they had to digitise the footage and ship back a drive with the shots on; therefore Ed Lachman ASC, cinematographer, had to wait up to a week before seeing what should have been dailies - "I saw weeklies, if that".  
> \- At an event with Ed and producer Elizabeth Karlsen he mentioned that the first few days of filming were all with soft focus - including the scenes with Carol and Abby in the house with the headlights were out of focus on the first day of shooting. The witness mark on the zoom lens wasn’t actually at infinity, you had to go past the witness mark to get infinity. And the focus puller had set infinity at the witness mark, so everything was thrown off. So yes, they had to reshoot two days. Not cheap.


End file.
